VI printing commonly involves a relatively large volume multi-document or multi-piece print job were certain information or data is varied from document to document or from piece to piece. That is to say, a VI print job will commonly include certain information or data (i.e., text, images and/or graphic content) that is static or the same across all the documents or pieces in the job and other information or data (again, text, images and/or graphic content) that is variable or that changes from document to document.
The use of VI printing, e.g., to produce personalized direct marketing materials, is a rapidly growing application in the digital printing field. Commonly, the printed materials created for such applications are generally in color and typically include variable images, text and/or graphic components that are personalized to suit the intended recipient. In accordance with many conventional approaches, the VI document is usually described by a layout and/or template and a set of rules that together describe how to use and/or present the variable information or data in the document. The variable images, text and/or graphic components (referred to generally herein as the digital assets) which are used to create the documents are often supplied to a printer by a customer or designer or other suitable proxy that developed the conceptual design of the direct marketing documents. Typically, the use of the various digital assets to build personalized VI printed documents is controlled by a data file, also typically supplied by the customer. Commercially available VI printing applications (e.g., such as Exstream Dialog, XMPIE® PERSONAL EFFECT® and XEROX's® VIPP) are commonly used to create the layout templates and rules.
In other words, the aforementioned commercially available software applications are commonly used to define and/or assemble the VI documents. Such applications generally define the VI documents using a layout and/or template and a set of rules that together describe how to use and/or present the variable data in the document. The conceptual design of the document often originates with the customer, e.g., via their marketing department, an outside advertising agency or other suitable proxy. In any event, the customer or their proxy is usually responsible for providing to the printer the digital assets used to create the documents. The mapping of digital assets into the layout and/or template to build personalized VI printed documents is generally controlled by a data file that is also typically supplied to the printer by the customer.
Often, in conventional workflows, when customers send new digital assets to a printer, the printer must undertake certain technical, aesthetic and/or other pre-press activities to ensure that the new assets will work correctly with the VI layouts and/or rules. For example, in the case of images, this typically involves checking image resolution (e.g., the number of pixels), image orientation, cropping for aesthetic and/or layout purposes, color correction, etc. Text assets may have to be edited to allow them to fit into a pre-defined space or in order for them to wrap or flow as desired. In many cases, before the VI print job can be suitably executed, the printer and the customer have to exchange communications one or more times to correct problems with the digital assets. Generally speaking, the time spent by a pre-press professional to communicate with the customer and/or to correct the digital assets is expensive to the printer and can result in delays in printing the job. Furthermore, aesthetic decisions made by the printer's pre-press staff may not be acceptable to the customer or other agent requesting the job, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction and additional delay and/or cost. Clearly, it would be desirable to have a simple, easy to use method, tool or other application that will allow non-print savvy customers and/or their designated proxies to upload digital assets to the printer in a way which ensures that: i) the assets are free of quality problems, ii) the assets are appropriate for their intended use; and/or, iii) the assets and/or finished product are aesthetically pleasing.
Accordingly, a new and improved system and/or method is disclosed that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.